Fukui International Association Operations

1. Supervision and management of facilities and equipment

Supervision and management of Fukui International Activities Plaza and International Exchange Association Reinan Center and their facility lending service

Passport Issuance and Delivery

A portion of the duties and responsibilities of passport issuance have been entrusted to the Fukui International Association.

2. Dissemination of Information

FIA Annual Report

Publication of 1,300 copies of an annual report summarizing FIA activities and operations in the fiscal year 2009.

Publication of international exchange magazine

Koryu Fukui, the FIA’s international exchange and PR magazine, is published three times annually with 4,000 copies respectively. The magazine serves not only to introduce international exchange events and opportunities within the prefecture but those outside of it as well to Fukui residents.

We have foreign language newspapers and magazines, books related to international affairs, videotapes for learning foreign languages, and more available at the FIA and Reinan Center for patrons’ browsing pleasure.

Publication of Multilingual Newsletter

The FIA produces and publishes FIA Pocket, a newsletter for introducing FIA projects and events as well as providing useful information for the day-to-day lives of Japanese and foreign residents of Fukui. The newsletter is published bimonthly in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese, for a total of 5,700 copies per month.

Cable TV Service

Access to CNN is provided for FIA patrons, giving them access to real-time information on world politics, the global economy, sports, and more.

Information Through Internet Access

In addition to providing internet access at the FIA and Reinan Center, we work to disseminate information through mobile phone newsletters and our home page.

Mass Media PR

Provide event and other information in a timely manner via mass media outlets.

Internationalization and stronger channels of information throughout the area

Translation, updates, and maintenance of the FIA’s multilingual website.

Information and Consultation

Daily life consultation, Japanese language learning, and provision of information in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Portuguese.

3. Support for foreign residents

Promoting a society in which a multiplicity of cultures can happily and peacefully coexist.

The FIA organizes and conducts discussion and workshops for public administration, civil organizations, and other related bodies regarding the creation of a multicultural society and the promotion of multicultural coexistence.

Inter-Organizational Cooperation in Support of Foreign Residents

In order to promote the creation of a multicultural society in Fukui Prefecture, the FIA cooperates with other international exchange organizations, cultural centers, educational institutions, and other bodies in providing aid and assistance to foreign residents.

Multilingual Radio Programming

Through our multilingual radio program, we work to provide foreign residents with useful daily and disaster prevention in order to better prepare them for both day-to-day life and disaster situations.

Hotline Service for Foreign Residents

In order to better our ability to provide support to foreign residents of the prefecture, here at the FIA Plaza we have created a toll-free hotline for foreign residents permanently staffed by Chinese or Portuguese speakers. We work closely with lawyers and notaries public.

Regularly Offered Japanese Courses

The FIA offers Japanese courses regularly to aid foreign residents in learning the Japanese they need for daily life here.

Training for Volunteer Japanese Language Instructors

The FIA offers training for both new and experienced Japanese language instructors in order to promote the continued improvement of language instruction at FIA Plaza.

Consultation Services for Foreign Residents

We hold consultation sessions and conferences for foreign residents with regards to legal matters and government procedures throughout the year, free of charge.

School-life Support for Foreign Students and Volunteer Training

In order to foster the development of both foreign students and the volunteers that aid them, the FIA provides books and other teaching materials related to Japanese language education, in addition to working closely with other international exchange organizations and agencies.

4. International Exchange and Cooperation

Promoting Volunteer Registration and Activities

The FIA oversees registration and encourages the active participation of volunteers in many of its operations and activities.

Promoting Exchange Between Fukui Residents and Students Studying Abroad in Japan

Through our volunteer registration system, we strive to provide support for and facilitate the integration of student studying abroad in Japan with the Fukui community.

Recruitment and Recommendation for Students to Study at Findlay University

We recruit and recommend students for scholarship study at Findlay University, located in Ohio, USA.

Technical Trainees from Abroad

As entrusted by the Fukui Prefectural Government, the FIA oversees technical trainees from developing countries and arranges for their participation in local industry and private as well as prefectural institutions.

Technical Trainees from Zhejiang Province, China

As entrusted by the Fukui Prefectural Government, the FIA oversees technical trainees from Zhiejiang Province, China, and arranges for their participation in local industry and private as well as prefectural institutions.

Dispatch of Trainees to Zhejian Province, China

As entrusted by the Fukui Prefectural Government, the FIA oversees the dispatch of Japanese trainees to Zhejiang Province, China.

Promoting International Friendship and Cooperation

The FIA is tasked with aiding in residents’ sister city and prefecture-wide friendship activities.

Establishment of International Cooperation Ambassador Program

Working with international cooperation ambassadors dispatched to developing countries, the FIA has been entrusted by the Fukui Prefectural Government with the recruitment, collection, and transportation of goods and materials necessary to their work and to the betterment of the lives of residents of these countries.

5. Support for International Exchange Activities and Events

Aid for Grassroots International Activities

The FIA provides partial aid of up to 150,000 yen to help fund the activities of grassroots international activities and events.

Support for and Maintenance of Fukui International Association Network

The FIA oversees the support and maintenance of the Fukui International Association Network, which exists to streamline and create new channels for cooperation between international exchange organizations within the prefecture.

International Exchange Network Meetings in Reinan

Meetings are held in the Reinan area to promote cooperation among international organizations based there.

6. Promotion of International Understanding

Dispatch Courses in International Understanding

The FIA arranges for the dispatch of foreign instructors to teach introductory culture courses at elementary and middle schools in the prefecture.

Japanese Speech Contest for Foreign Residents

We aspire to deepen mutual understanding between foreign residents and Japanese people about one another through speeches in Japanese, written by foreign residents of Fukui about their impressions and experiences in Fukui and Japan.

International Exchange and Cooperation Events

In order to further intercultural understanding, we hold international exchange and cooperation events open to foreign and Japanese residents alike.

Foreign Culture through Foreign Language Courses

The FIA offers courses taught by foreign instructors, in their native languages and about their home countries, as a means of introducing foreign cultures while providing topic-based language instruction.

Promoting Cross-Cultural Understanding

In order to promote cross-cultural understanding, the FIA coordinates and hosts events in which foreign residents can share the traditions of their home country, and Japanese who have lived abroad can share their experiences as well. Foreign residents are also given the opportunity to enrich themselves through experiencing traditional Japanese culture.
(These have been held in commemoration of the 2010 Japan APEC Energy Minister’s Meeting.)